Page 22 of Forever Flirting

The guy had literally gone on vacation, met his pen pal, married her, and came back oozing spun-sugar from every pore, making googly eyes, and looking even happier than ever before… if that was even possible.

Whereas Alex was feeling more despondent, lost, and alone than ever.

He had a dream last night that he’d met Everly, and they were standing in a field, on a clear autumn day. She was telling him how she missed him but was so hurt by his actions. The dream had been so real, so vivid, that he awoke to tears on his pillow that he quickly tried to hide.

Now, hours later, Alex had just finished an email to Mallory – letting her know he was flying in again and wanted to have Caleb for a week. Those five days had passed entirely too fast, and by the time it was up? He was just getting to a point where they were really bonding.

Alex saw Ghost start blushing again and wondered what in the world the man was reading – looking at him in frustration.

“Sheesh… Ghost! Can you either stop radiating sunshine over there, or read it aloud so the rest of us can enjoy whatever has you grinning like the Joker…”

“Oh,” Ghost hesitated, looking at him and swallowing physically. “I can’t read it aloud, guys.”

Alex groaned audibly and sighed, sliding down in his chair as Sparky, Ricochet, and Inferno started laughing knowingly.

“Ohhhh my gosh, I wish I had a girlfriend that would write me naughty things like that. You stupid, lucky cuss…” Alex uttered despondently. “Noooo, I literally get a bill forwarded to me by my child’s Baby-Momma-Drama that I get to deal with on a few rare occasions.”

“So pay it,big daddy,” Ricochet teased.

“How’s that sister of yours?” Alex taunted openly, harassing the other pilot, giving him a sly smile. “Single? Pretty? I bet she’s some sensuous, seductive, young lady just waiting for a…”

Ricochet shot out of his chair, climbing onto the computer tables and halfway over the partition before they began to move into action. Alex was laughing with delight, having gotten a rise out of the cool, arrogant man.

“Whoaaaa! Whoa! Whoa!” Sparky snapped, grabbing at the belt of Ricochet’s coveralls.

“Hang on, boys… not the computers!” Inferno snapped, going for Ricochet’s collar and arms, tugging him backwards away from Alex. “Off the desks, buddy!”

“I told you before, loudmouth, that she’s way out of your league…” Ricochet snarled angrily.

“Time to batter up…” Alex grinned, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. “I’m gonna knock it outta the ballpark if I ever meet a sweet, young, hotMissBriscoe…”

“Maestro, knock it off,” Ghost whispered hotly, hoping no one heard the commotion. “I do not want to lose computer privileges. Ricochet, Inferno is right. It will take forever to get new computers if we destroy these. Remember the Army guys only have one computer that they have to share…”

“Man, that would suck…” Sparky muttered openly.

“Right? I don’t want that to happen to us,” Ghost said firmly. “So, can you two please take it outside and leave the poor PCs alone?”

“My sister would take one look at you and laugh, Maestro…” Ricochet goaded. “You aren’t her type – unless she’s slumming and desperate.”

“Desperate girls need love, too,” Alex shrugged, goading the man.

“Is that how you got some girl knocked up?” Ricochet said innocently. Sparky and Inferno cursed at once, moving for him… as Ghost dove for Alex almost immediately.

“You don’t know anything about that!” Alex roared angrily, surging to his feet and putting his finger in the other man’s face.

Ricochet simply slapped it away, smirking at him.

“Probably a classic ‘touch-and-go’move… or did you stick around for sloppy seconds?”

“Your sister didn’t complain… and neither did your mother.”

“You know nothing about my family!”

“If I ever meet any woman with the last name of Briscoe – I’m gonna say ‘hello’just for you, Ricochet…”

“You’d sleep with anything…” Ricochet taunted, and Alex saw red.

“Why, I ought to…”

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